Images of Park Farm

Views from the castle

As the ancient centre of the historical Hadleigh Royal Park, the former home of the park keeper, which we now know as Park Farm, is again in the news after years of neglect, so I have dug out some of my memories of the place from a snowy winter decades ago. It will be great to see the building being saved, especially if it can be saved intact…

A picture taken from the castle area.
© Robert Hallmann
Somewhere I remember reading about a windmill that once stood nearby? It would have been well suited to catch the wind at that elevation.
© Robert Hallmann
A view of Home Farm from the castle.
© Robert Hallmann
Here I was attracted by the view of South Benfleet's watertower...
© Robert Hallmann
Does anyone remember the brick-built 'ER' postbox at the corner of Castle Lane and the Salvation Army? First the lovely cast-iron front went missing and then the bricks were dismantled. Today it would have had to make way for the lane widening...
© Robert Hallmann

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  • Thank you, Ian. I’m glad I did not dream the windmill. What we need now is a picture of it. There is another more tenuous possibility of a mill in Hadleigh. A plot called ‘Millfield’ between Solbys Lane and Rectory Road had a pond lined with ancient willows, most of which have now succumbed to age. Did Solbys ever have a windmill?

    By Robert Hallmann (15/06/2011)
  • Yes, I remember the windmill, it was an iron construction for pumping water up to a large tank for use on the farm. It could be clearly seen from the London Road.

    By Ian Hawks (11/06/2011)
  • I remember the post box well, as a youngster in the 1930s, I used to post mail in the box for my parents. We lived at Dorlie, No 72 Castle Road West.

    By Ian Hawks (07/04/2011)

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